Okay - my story is going to be simple.
Man sleeping in woods - wakes up to the sound of booms only to find that he is in the path of a giant. Voila!

Using live action with stylized environments. I'm having the actors move in slow motion and then I'm speeding their motion up to a tad faster than what would be considered real time. I like the weird choppiness of unnatural motion.

Here is a shot I just started today.No blue screen just good ol' fashoined cut-outs with eraser tool in PS (15 fps)- this image ought to give you a sense of what I'm going for. Will be plugged into max for simulated hand held camera.
http://img12.echo.cx/img12/7393/2minutefilmthingy6fq.gif

I sure hope I finish. Cutting out people with erasure tool can make one go a little batty - fortunately I have ample amounts of scrap paper around to chew on just in case I decide to go crazy.

AWBenson

06-16-2005, 04:57 PM

If you have After Effects (or another compositing program of similar or higher quality), you can create tweeked outlines to use as a mask. This should be a faster way to "cut-out" people from their backgrounds instead of using PhotoShop on a frame by frame basis.

If you really needed to you could use Flash to do this. Also, there is a freeware called Wax from debugmode.com that has a shape masking feature.

PS: Does PhotoShop still suppost the "filmstrip" format? It was an un-documented feature back in the 5.5 ot 6 version.

Scott Harris

06-16-2005, 06:30 PM

ha ha... or just hire an intern :-D

I interned at nickelodeon as my first foot in the door... they made me rotoscope chuckie from "RugRats" with all his frikken hair. I wanted to kill someone!

well hey, the example clip has a great look I think. I will be watching your thread.

stepington

06-16-2005, 06:41 PM

Hey,

Thanks for the tips!
I kind of like the choppiness of hand crafted imagery in this case. - :) Kind of like "Harpya" by Raoul Serviase(sp?) which he did in 1979. You can check it out on atomfilms.com

Thanks again for the info - I'll definitely check those out.:scream:

-stephen

edit-
here is a major contrast change I'm gonna go with - used red filter in max - new conversion to B&W - then raised contrast - infiltrated with cyan. This feels more night-timey to me - where-as the previous was a tad more collage' than I wanted.
edit - removed stills and inserted gif image--
http://img18.echo.cx/img18/7598/thebigchase5kp.gif

stepington

06-17-2005, 07:10 AM

I'm not sure how much and how often we are to post our WIP's, but here are some grass and tree designs.

Hey, thanks, Igor Sandman.
"The candle that burns twice as brightly burns half as long. And you have burned so very brightly, Roy."

Too bad this challenge didn't happen a year ago - I did a little chase film then, too.
It was about a domestic dispute between two robots which ultimately ended in a chase.
This shot was done on the beach - about 7 feet above the sand. The water and robot heads are digital.
http://img294.echo.cx/img294/7854/robochase1bd.gif

The bot on the left is the same guy that's going to play our giant - he's quite remarkable when it comes to physical acting/comedy.

Ah well, I guess this post is off the subject. I'll post my storyboard this evening.

shot 1b
http://img89.echo.cx/img89/8637/shot2a1un.jpgCAM continues as we hear a BOOM followed by the panic of birds flying away in the oposite direction.

shot 1c
http://img7.echo.cx/img7/3051/shot1c0cg.jpg CAM pan continues as we enter the forest. The BOOM - followed by the panic of birds now becomes rythmic.

shot 1d
http://img83.echo.cx/img83/5637/shot1d4uc.jpgCAM finally rests on a man sleeping on the forest floor. BOOM happens again. We hear the birds as before. Their shadows pass over the sleeper. One bird could no longer bear the torment of the BOOMS and deficates from off camera. The bird poop lands quite close to our sleeper - causing him to stir.

thanks!
I hope so too. With a little luck - we'll have the whole thing shot by this Friday - I've already completed 2 shots in (post)- perhaps I can keep it down to no more than twenty or so.
Anyhow, thanks again for the encouragement!

-stephen

stepington

06-23-2005, 04:22 PM

Well,

We've been doing some more shooting. - Here's a raw still of our giant. I need to get the rest of the story board up soon. . . .
http://img240.echo.cx/img240/7020/giant5ok.jpg
tyler the great. . .

Scott Harris

06-23-2005, 04:31 PM

awesome, looks like this is coming along

stepington

06-23-2005, 04:52 PM

Thanks, Scott -
Filming is the easy part:sad:,

Here is a song sung by the Giant. . .
Sorry for the low compression quality.

AWBenson

06-23-2005, 06:33 PM

Looking pretty good. I like your choice for the giant actor, although I wonder how the giant is going to be dressed. Did you shoot the whole short at once or is it being pieced together from multiple shoots?

AWBenson

stepington

06-23-2005, 08:55 PM

the giant is wearing your standard factory made pair of shorts (don't all giants wear manufactured clothing?) - and a guitar.:rolleyes: no shirt no shoes -

pretty strange* - but I love strange* - :D

we're (I'm) ((chris has been busy with other projects and raising a wonderful family )) doing it in multiple shoots.

* translation - strange = campy

stepington

06-25-2005, 07:16 AM

Had this shot put up yesturday - but -uh - well it's been severely tweeked.
Singing giant -
http://img239.echo.cx/img239/2010/red01099co.jpg
still few more modifications before I can call this shot finished. . . .

AnotherMe

06-25-2005, 09:42 PM

hey step, you work at a art museum? what type of stuff do you do there?

stepington

06-25-2005, 10:01 PM

Right now I'm helping with an introductory video for new employees. It's a pretty fun project -there is a brief overview of every department and a brief 15 second animation introduction for each section. Lots of off beat humor to make the new guys feel a little more comfortable in the "stuffy" new environment.

archerx

06-30-2005, 12:35 AM

im liking the style, i can't wait to see the finished version. 2 weeks left:eek:

stepington

06-30-2005, 02:15 AM

sheesh, I'm in the process of moving across town right now and I'm without internet at home. Great timing. :cry: Cross your fingers for me.

I just got my soundtrack yesturday from Ryan and Kyla! That's been a great motivational feeling. (I love the cashless world of goods and services)

ZaKKoS

07-02-2005, 01:47 AM

Your work is very beautiful, so dreamy! Looks like some tim burton visions or some music videoclip!

Hope you will finish it and that everything else gonna be alright (it reminds me something...)

I'm waiting for new wip stuff from you guy :thumbsup:

stepington

07-02-2005, 06:05 AM

Thanks! That's encouraging to hear. I'll try to get something up by tuesday. I'm running in circles with 10,000 different things.:eek:

franklyn

07-03-2005, 05:15 AM

i love the steppy jerky motion aswell it reminds me of waking life. have you ever seen that one ? . if you havent you really should get ur hands on it ull love the kind of environment tehy built in it. your work looks really good so far do you have a site with ur toehr movies?

stepington

07-03-2005, 02:26 PM

Yes, I love Waking Life. Can't wait to check out Scanner Darkly as well.

Hopefully have a site up before too long.

thankyou -
steph

stepington

07-12-2005, 03:57 PM

Regretfully, I have no choice but to throw in the towel on this challenge. It WILL be completed - just not by deadline. I did, however, manage to complete my moving across town in 10 days AND cook a gourmet meal for 11 people in 30 minutes! Thanks all for your encouragements and dropping in to view my supposed progress.

archerx

07-12-2005, 06:31 PM

thats too bad, you're looked very good, but i'll watch out for it when you finish it:D

i might throw in the towel too, if i don't finish in time, i rather it be good and finished late than mediocre and in time, but still im crunching.... no sleep for this week..

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